The Last Jedi – Expanded Universe

 Everyone needs their Star Wars fix, especially this time of year. Whilst some Star Wars fans head back to the cinemas for the 7^th or 8^th viewing of “The Last Jedi”- other fans are consuming as much Expanded Universe media as possible. Disney & Lucasfilm have done a good job publishing media that ties directly into Episode VIII. Here are some books and comics to look out for if you want to know more about the universe of “The Last Jedi”.

The Storms of Crait

Crait is probably the coolest Star Wars planet since Bespin, Hoth, or Dagobah. Anyone who has visited a salt flat will recognize Crait as an Earthly setting- albeit a rare one. Yet- the red mineral lying just below the salt, makes Crait pretty unworldly. The comic “The Storms of Crait” brings Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Wedge Antillies to the salt planet. This was in their younger days- mind you- after Yavin and before Hoth. Crait is a “one-shot”, meaning you can pick it up from your comic store without having to wait months in between releases or have to commit to buying multiple issues. I think it’s the first actual comic (as opposed to a Trade Paperback collection) that I have bought since I was a kid. The Storms of Crait is very much related to the main Marvel “Star Wars” series, which is currently on issue 40. Yet, even someone who has never read a Star Wars comic could easily pick up “The Storms of Crait” without having read any prior entry. The art is beautiful and the story is pretty good as well.

Canto Bight

Canto Bight is a collection of four Novellas, all of which take place on the Casino world of Canto Bight. “Rules of the Game” tells the story of Kedpin Shoklop a good-hearted naïve alien who has won a free vacation to Canto Bight. Kedpin soon finds himself mixed up in a giant interplanetary crime conspiracy. “The Wine in Dreams” tells the story of Derla Piys, a liquor trader, who attempts to procure a mythical wine from the mysterious Grammus sisters, who claim to be from another dimension. “Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing” is pretty much “Taken” in space- in which a masseur named Lexo Sooger must undertake a mission to win back his adopted daughter. “The Ride” features Kal Somni, a professional gambler who is down on his luck and has his life seemingly ruined by “The Lucky Three”, reptilian brothers who seem to defy the odds.

The highlight of this collection is John Jackson Miller’s story “The Ride”. I have read three of Miller’s novels and two of his short stories this year. Miller is certainly one of the most prolific and talented authors in the new era of Star Wars.

Cobalt Squadron

Cobalt Squadron is a middle-grade novel that features the Tica sisters, Rose and Paige in their adventures prior to the events of The Last Jedi. In Episode VIII, viewers know Rose to be a lowly maintenance worker, whose deceased sister is a Resistance Bomber. This book explores the relationship between Rose and Paige including the fact that Rose is a tiny bit jealous of her star-pilot sister.

The book’s visual theme is the same the 2015 books “Before the Awakening”, “Moving Target”, “Smuggler’s Run”, and “Weapon of a Jedi”. Audiobook listeners will be delighted to learn that it is narrated by Kelly Marie Tran who played Rose in The Last Jedi. 

DJ: Most Wanted

The comic “DJ: Most Wanted” by Ben Ackner and Ben Blacker will be released on January 31^st and will tell the
story of DJ’s day leading up to his imprisonment and fateful meeting with Finn and Rose.

“DJ” played by Benicio del Toro, never actually says his name in The Last Jedi. “DJ” apparently stands for “Don’t Join” a personal slogan that DJ wears on his hat. Of course, this doesn’t make much sense because the Star Wars galaxy doesn’t use the letters “D” or “J” which makes me wonder if the correct pronunciation of his name would be “Dorn Jenth” which is how you pronounce the Aurebesh letters that are equivalent to “DJ”. Dorn Jenth is a much better name in my opinion, but that won’t keep me from picking up my copy of DJ in late January.

A Year in Review

I've read (and listened to) fifteen Star Wars novels this year. I sat in awe as Timothy Zahn reinvented his signature alien "Thrawn" in a most-artful fashion. I fell in love with Chuck Wendig's "Aftermath" characters in his thrilling trilogy. I met John Jackson Miller in person, asked him some questions, and got him to sign my copy of "A New Dawn". I witnessed Claudia Grey explore the politics and moral ambiguity of the Star Wars galaxy in her books "Lost Stars" and "Bloodline". I listened to Ashley Eckstein read Ahsoka's story to me and Kelly Marie Tran read Rose's story. I survived Delilah S. Dawson's Phasma, even though most of the characters in the book did not. Even Wil Wheaton was able to surprise me with a short story which ended in a twist more terrible than any Shyamalan film. And at the end of the year I still have a long list of Star Wars books that I have yet to read- and someday I just might.

A Year of Star Wars Books

"Aftermath Trilogy" by Chuck Wendig

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-aftermath-trilogy.html

"A New Dawn" by Jonathan Jackson Miller

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2017/08/a-new-dawn-book-review.html

"Thrawn" by Timothy Zahn

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2017/06/thrawn-book-review.html

"Lost Stars" by Claudia Gray

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2017/06/lost-stars-book-review.html

"Knight Errant" by Jonathan Jackson Miller

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2017/07/knight-errant-book-review.html

"Bloodline" by Claudia Gray

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2017/07/bloodline-book-review.html

"Ahsoka" by E. K. Johnston

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2017/08/ahsoka-book-review.html

"Before the Awakening" by Greg Rucka

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2017/08/before-awakening-book-review.html

"Kenobi" by John Jackson Miller

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-ben-kenobi-film.html

"Phasma" by Delilah S Dawson

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-phasma-menace.html

"From A Certain Point of View"

Part 1- http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2017/10/from-certain-point-of-view-part-1.html

Part 2- http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2017/10/who-owns-mos-eisley-cantina-anyway.html

Part 3- http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2017/10/hiroshima-nagasaki-alderaan.html

Part 4- http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-battle-of-yavin.html

"Canto Bight"
http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-last-jedi-expanded-universe.html

"Cobalt Squadron" by Elizabeth Wein
http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-last-jedi-expanded-universe.html

What’s Left Of The Resistance?

            In “The Last Jedi” audiences saw the Resistance Fleet utterly destroyed. Most of the 400-odd freedom-fighters were wiped out in a matter of days. So who is left to fight for galactic freedom?

Confirmed Alive

-Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix-

Billie Lourd is a rising actress and the only child of the late Carrie Fisher. Lourd’s character Lieutenant Connix appears in both “The Force Awakens” and “The Last Jedi”. Connix had a bit of dialogue in TFA and by TLJ she is more talkative and has a lot more screen time. Connix is one of the few resistance members seen escaping the salt-planet of Crait at the end of Episode VIII and we can cross our fingers that she will play a role in Episode IX. She is, after all, her mother’s daughter.

-Nien Nunb-

Nien Nunb has got to be one ultra-bummed sullustan. After destroying the second Death Star over 30 years ago and ridding the galaxy of evil, evil has returned. But Nunb is still fighting the good fight, despite the death of all of his friends. Puppeteer Mike Quinn has portrayed Nunb since 1983 and will most likely return to costume the character in the future.

-C’ai Threnalli-

The existence of this character was due to a production error in “The Force Awakens”. Though the Abednedo pilot, Ello Asty, was killed during the Battle of Starkiller Base, he is also seen waving goodbye to Rey at the end of the film. Keeper-of-Canon, Pablo Hidalgo was able to retcon this fact by explaining that the Abednedo pilot waving goodbye to the Falcon must be a separate character named C’ai Thernalli. So that’s how C’ai ends up in “The Last Jedi”.

-All Those Other Peoples-

Other survivors include: Rey, Finn, Poe, Rose, Chewbacca, BB-8, R2-D2, C-3PO, and at least one Porg.

Could Be Alive

-General Leia Organa-

It is no secret that Princess Leia was supposed to play a large role in Episode IX. When Carrie Fisher passed away last winter, we lost a true Star Wars treasure. So where will they take the character from here? Kathleen Kennedy has already confirmed that Carrie Fisher will not be in Episode IX. They will not be using cutting-room floor footage or CGI to bring her back. So what does this mean for the legacy of Leia? Quite possibly she will be killed off-screen between Episode VIII and Episode IX. This would be quite a sad way for Leia to go out. The princess has been a central character to the Star Wars saga since 1977, and an off-screen death doesn’t really do the character justice.

-Snap Wexley-

There is a small bit of text in the Visual Dictionary for “The Last Jedi” that notes, “most of the surviving pilots who joined Poe in the fight against Starkiller have since scattered to other evacuation points or been assigned to other missions”. This probably is meant to address the absence of the actor Greg Grunberg and his character Temmin “Snap” Wexley in “The Last Jedi”. It is odd that Wexley was not in this film, considering he had such a large role in the destruction of Starkiller Base and that his character has become massively important in the expanded universe, specifically the “Aftermath” book series. Grunberg has stated that he refused to film a death scene for his character during production of “The Force Awakens”- which implies that he is enthusiastic about a return. Since his childhood friend JJ Abrams is directing episode IX, I would think that a return would be likely.

-Commander Larma D’Acy-

Larma D’Acy gets more than a few lines in “The Last Jedi”, which is her first appearance in the Star Wars saga. I watched very carefully during my third viewing of the film to figure out what happens to this character and the best that I can figure is that she escapes Crait with the rest of the Resistance. A return is certainly possible.

Confirmed Dead

-Admiral Ackbar-

Admiral Gial Ackbar is a fan favorite and many were disappointed that he had a small role and quick death in “The Last Jedi”. One reason that Rian Johnson may have chosen this path for Ackbar is that the original voice actor, Erik Bauersfeld, passed away shortly after “The Force Awakens” released. Many fans cite that it should have been Ackbar and not Laura Dern, to sacrifice himself near the end of TLJ. Others criticize Ackbar as a “lesser” character who is famous only from an internet meme. But those of us who have known Ackbar the longest will really miss this war hero. Admiral Ackbar: you have forever “trapped” our hearts.

-Vice Admiral Holdo-

Many viewers of The Last Jedi disliked the Purple-haired, Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, portrayed by Laura Dern. Others found her to be a symbol for charming powerful women. Holdo will go down in history for teaching Poe Dameron an important lesson about questioning authority: “Never Question Authority”. Wait? Aren’t Rebels supposed to question authority? Isn’t that their entire reason for existing? Anyway if you want to learn more about Amilyn Holdo check out the books “Leia, Princess of Alderaan” or “Cobalt Squadron”.

-Luke Skywalker-

Luke Skyalker has become one with the Force, but don’t count out a return from our favorite Jedi. What would Star Wars be without the occasional visit from a Force Ghost? If we can’t have more Harrison Ford or Carrie Fisher in Episode IX, we better get more Mark Hamill!

What About The First Order?

With Supreme Leader Snoke dead at the end of The Last Jedi, Kylo Ren is seen to be struggling for power against General Armitage Hux. But what about Phasma? Is she really a goner? I’m going to say that Phasma is most-likely alive. After all, she escaped Starkiller Base. In “The Last Jedi” we saw her falling into flame, but this doesn’t mean she can’t also escape the ruins of Snoke's capital ship (The Supremacy). For more Phasma, make sure to read the novel “Phasma”, which explains how she got her armor. (Hint: It has nothing to do with Amidala’s chrome-colored Naboo Royal Starship from The Phantom Menace). Or does it?

Star Wars: Episode IX directed by J.J. Abrams has a December 20^th, 2019 release date.

The Mystery of the Sandspeeder

The other day I was on Lego.com searching through the Star Wars sets, wondering if there was something from “The Last Jedi” that I wanted for my collection. It was then that I happened upon the “Sandspeeder”. It looked just like a snowspeeder, except it was sand-colored. I immediately racked my brain and attempted to figure out what corner of the Star Wars franchise a sandspeeder came from. Upcoming episodes of Star Wars Rebels? The second season of the Freemaker Adventures? The packaging held no clues, so I went to Wookiepeedia.

The first thing I noticed was that this wasn’t the first time that the Sandspeeder has appeared in Star Wars toy lines. Micro-machines released a Sandspeeder in 2008. A decade before, in 1998, it was featured on a card in the Star Wars Collectible Card Game. I even dug out my old Star Wars CCG collection and was able to locate the card. And then the trail went dead- A card from 1998, a Micro-Machine from 2008, and a 2018 Lego set. The Sandspeeder had appeared exactly 3 times, once in each decade, available to consumers, but never mentioned in the books, comics, games, or other various media. But when I dug further, I found something surprising. To get to the true origins of the Sandspeeder we have to wind back the clock, one decade further. We have to go back to 1986. We have to look at the Kenner toy company.

 You see- Kenner had been making bank in the 70s and 80s on Star Wars toys. The original trilogy released in 1977, 1980, and 1983 provided them with a steady stream of marketable Star Wars figures. But three years after “Return of the Jedi”, there was no new film in sight and Kenner needed a new plan for how to sell more toys.

Kenner’s solution was to create a new Star Wars storyline called ‘The Epic Continues”. This toy line was to be a sequel to “Return of the Jedi”. Kenner had a whole plotline mapped out- one that would see Luke Skywalker face off against a super villain “genetics master” named Atha Prime. Also Grand Moff Tarkin (having apparently survived the first Death Star) would have returned as leader of the Empire.

            Many fans complain that some aspects of Star Wars are added just to sell more toys, but “The Epic Continues” would have taken this concept to the extreme. Most of the “new” creatures and ships that were planned for the toy line were actually old creatures and ships. Take for example the Mongo Beefhead Tribesmen. These Tatooine dwellers look kind of interesting, but look closer. The head of this species is actually the head of a “Squid-Head” (Quarren) that has been turned upside down. The arms are from a “Hammerhead” (Ithorian) and the chest-piece is from 4-Lom. Then there is the All-Terrain Ion Cannon- which is a mash up between an AT-AT walker and an Ion Cannon. The Sandspeeder? It’s a Snowspeeder that’s sand-colored.

            When Kenner presented their ideas to Lucasfilm, Lucasfilm decided not to pursue the idea. And without the new toys, the future of Kenner looked dim. Demand slipped. In my lifetime Star Wars has always been a staple of American culture, but in the late 80s, it was a passing fad. So, instead of a new toy line and new storyline, Kenner was forced to stop producing Star Wars action figures altogether. In fact, Star Wars would not return to toy aisles until nearly a decade later. In 1991, Hasbro bought out Kenner, and it wasn’t until 1995 that Star Wars action figures returned to the toy shelves.

It’s amazing to me that I had never heard about “The Epic Continues” until this week. I guess that should serve as a reminder that there is always more to learn about Star Wars. There are always strange and obscure aliens and spaceships sneaking into canon- and the Sandspeeder happens to be one of those interesting oddities.

One Man’s Review of The Last Jedi

This is my personal, initial, and early feelings after seeing “The Last Jedi” tonight. I realize that my feelings can and will change on multiple viewings of the film and that other people are going to have different perspectives than me.

Ahch-To
(The Island Planet)

I thought the stuff on Ahch-To was really strong. Seeing Rey interact with Luke Skywalker is where this story really gets to stretch out and breathe. Rey is by far the most compelling character of this new trilogy so part of me felt that she was underserved in this film. Rian Johnson brought in so many new and wonderful characters and ideas- that I kind of lost track of the hero's journey. Also, let’s talk about Porgs. In my fan-cut of this movie, I’d take out the Porgs. 

The Chase Through Space

Despite an apparent victory over the First Order in “The Force Awakens”, the First Order now has the Resistance on the run. The First Order can now track ships through hyperspace (ala the first few episodes of Battlestar Galactica). Poe’s character really shines here and the tension between Poe and purple-haired Laura Dern, was enough to keep this interesting.

Canto Bight (The Casino Planet)

Okay, so this is where the film starts to lose me. It wasn’t just the slapstick comedy or the CJI stampedes that turned me off- It was the fact that Canto Bight is just an unneeded distraction from the other story threads. Benicio del Toro’s slicer character “DJ” was utterly pointless to me, because he doesn’t get a real character arc. Kelly Marie Tran’s character “Rose” is okay, but she’s a little preachy, isn’t she? I guess this story moves so fast that we don’t really get to focus on any one character for too long.

Crait (The Salt Planet)

The visual genius of Crait, cannot be denied, but visual-genius isn’t exactly the same as a quality storyline, is it? The last act of this film is a mystifying as the rest of it. It is beautiful and fast-paced and full of color and character, but at the same time I wish it would just slow down for a second. Two-and-a-half hours have flown by and I’m starting to get lost. What are the themes here? Who are these characters? Did Admiral Ackbar really die?  

Risks

One thing many fans didn’t like about “The Force Awakens” is that it was too “similar” to “A New Hope”. So if there is one good thing we can say about “The Last Jedi” is that it took risks. Still, I wish Rian Johnson wouldn’t have jammed-packed everything he had in his brain into this one film. I think the best thing about “The Force Awakens” was that J.J. showed some restraint. Without restraint your characters aren’t characters, they are just toys to be played with.

The Last Jedi: Things To Consider

Star Wars: Episode VIII: The Last Jedi is almost upon us. There are so many Star Wars thoughts buzzing around my head this week, and I wanted to take a little time to appreciate this moment in history. Fandom is about to unwrap a massive present and we are not totally sure what to expect. It's an important film- you know. The stakes are higher than last December's "Rogue One". “The Last Jedi” will be the 4^th sequel to “A New Hope” and it will be the first time since 1983’s “Return of the Jedi” since we heard Luke Skywalker say a line. What holiday blessings or curses could this film bring?

Let’s Talk About Rian Johnson

One reason that fans have high hopes for “The Last Jedi” is Rian Johnson. Johnson received critical acclaim for his films “Brick” & “Looper” and for directing three episodes of “Breaking Bad”. There are a lot of hints that Disney is confident in Johnson’s take on “The Last Jedi”. The first hint being that Johnson was never booted out of the director’s chair during production, unlike: Josh Trank (Boba Fett), Phil Lord & Chris Miller (Solo), Colin Trevorrow (Episode IX), and- to a certain extent- Gareth Edwards (Rouge One).

Disney has even doubled-down on their love for Johnson recently, by announcing that Rian will develop a brand new trilogy of Star Wars films not connected to the “Skywalker” storyline. The release schedule for these films have not yet been announced, but it probably means that there will be a very long wait for Star Wars: Episode X.

Another sign that Disney has faith in "The Last Jedi" is the runtime. At 2:38 or 150 minutes, it will be the longest Star Wars film to date. Also, in an unprecedented move, Disney is requiring theaters to reserve at least four weeks in the largest auditorium available exclusively for The Last Jedi screenings. This demand seems to be quite controversial, especially for small town cinemas who have limited screens and a limited viewing population.

Neither of these facts are guarantee that the film will be high quality, but it does seem that Disney is throwing down every card in their hand, so they must think the product is something to bet on.

A New Hope                                   121 minutes

The Empire Strikes Back           124 minutes

Return of the Jedi                         132 minutes

The Phantom Menace                 133 minutes

Attack of the Clones                    142 minutes

Revenge of the Sith                     140 minutes

The Force Awakens                     135 minutes

Rogue One                                      133 minutes

The Last Jedi                                  150 minutes

What Could Kill “The Last Jedi” For Fans?

Just because the House of Mouse seems confident in Rian Johnson, doesn’t mean that fans have absolute faith that “The Last Jedi” will be the next “Empire Strikes Back”. Some fans (myself included) seem to be worried about Porgs- those little owl things in all the trailers. It is not known how Porg-heavy the plot of Episode VIII will be, but one can hope that they are not the new “Ewoks” or “Gungans” of the galaxy.

Fans also seem skeptical of a little droid called BB-9E. Will this little guy just roll through the background or are they really introducing BB-8’s evil twin as a supporting character? Will the two droids battle in a head-to-head death match? Is that what we really want?

Snoke is another wild card for viewers. The character design on this guy seems to be questionable. Will this mysterious dark-force user be the next Palpatine or merely the next Nute Gunray?

TV Projects in the Works

With “Star Wars: Rebels” wrapping up its fourth and final season this Spring- a brand new animated series is being developed. When in the galactic timeline will this series take place? Will it focus on the Rebellion against the Empire or possibly Resistance against the First Order?

Another TV project in the works is the Live Action series, which could launch on Diseny’s new streaming service. This isn't the first time that Lucasfilm has promised us a Live Action Star Wars series. A series known as "Star Wars: Underworld" was first announced in 2005. A team of writers spent a couple years developing over 50 scripts. This eight-person writing team included such notables as Ronald D. Moore (of Battlestar Galactica fame) and Chris Chibnall (The new Doctor Who showrunner), yet in the end nothing was ever filmed. 

Disney to Purchase Fox

Rumors are abound that Disney may purchase Fox. This would not only gain them access to various TV series and the rights to use X-Men characters in the MCU, Disney would also have the rights to distribute “A New Hope” (which is something they don't currently have). The import of this fact is full of possibilities. Certainly we would see new Star Wars box sets, but could we also get updated versions of the Original Trilogy? Possibly, 3D versions of the films? More importantly (Bantha in the room here) could fans get the de-specialized versions of the Original Trilogy that they have been yearning for?

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Howard with Tag & Bink

With "The Last Jedi" soon to be released, very few fans are focussed on Ron Howard's entry into Star Wars lore. "Solo: A Star Wars Story" is due to hit cinemas May 25th, 2018. One has to wonder if the release is too close to "The Last Jedi". In fact, "The Force Awakens" ran in some cinemas until June 2016 and if "The Last Jedi" runs this long, it will run right into Solo. Fans are also wondering when we will see a trailer for the film. Could we see a Solo preview in front of "The Last Jedi". Hmmm....

Final Thoughts

On October 30th, 2012 Disney purchased Lucasfilm.
On October 31st, 2012 I started this Blog.

What a long strange journey this has been. In the last five years Disney has given us many presents. Four Seasons of Rebels have aired (plus Two Seasons of the Freemaker Adventures and Forces of Destiny). Recently fans have been promised a new animated TV series and a new Live Action TV series. Meanwhile, "The Force Awakens" and "Rogue One" feel like ancient history as "The Last Jedi" fast approaches- whilst Disney has at least six further Star Wars films in development. These are good times to be a Star Wars fans, my friends. Or at least I think they are. I guess we'll know for sure when we open that present next Thursday.